Concerned about prenatal ultrasound?

Q. I am pregnant with my first child and some of the women I work with have told me about some studies that are being conducted on ultrasounds. Is it complete rumor, or is it possible that having several ultrasounds can be harmful to a fetus (possibly leading to ear damage)?

Barb / Mich.

A. Ultrasound has now been used regularly in obstetrical practice for more than 30 years, and no adverse effects have ever been demonstrated. Research investigating the heat produced by ultrasound and the noise produced in utero has not suggested even a hint of a problem in exposed babies.

Ironically, pregnant women who have concerns about ultrasound almost never have concerns about hand held Doppler instruments that allow us to hear the fetal heart at prenatal visits. These tools also utilize ultrasound energy, but no adverse effects of Doppler use have ever been seen either.

There is no reason to feel uncomfortable with ultrasound during pregnancy, and the benefits of its use can be great.